Automated fiber placement machines are widely used to manufacture parts, components and structures from composite material. The materials used in automated fiber placement are typically composed of longitudinal fibers and resin consolidated into tapes, or thin strips commonly known as “tows.” Individual tapes or tows are manipulated by the fiber placement machine to form a band of material that is deposited onto a tool. Parts are built up layer-by-layer, with tapes or tows of composite material, with the angle at which each layer “ply” is laid onto the tool being precisely determined by the fiber placement machine.
Automated fiber placement enables the construction of complex composite structures using steered or curvilinear fiber paths. This method of producing composite structures is more cost effective than manual methods. It provides an improved structural efficiency due to its ability to orient the fibers along local internal load paths, which potentially results in lighter structures that are also lower in cost than structures made by other production methods.
In order to reduce the time and cost required for forming large structures, such as aircraft wing skins, or fuselage sections, using automated fiber placement, it is desirable to utilize multiple automated fiber placement machines. In order to effectively, efficiently, and safely utilize several automated fiber placement machines for laying fiber onto a common tool surface, it is necessary that an apparatus and method for simultaneously controlling the fiber placement machines be provided.
In order to accomplish the fabrication of a large part, it is also desirable that a method and apparatus be provided for replenishing the supplies of composite materials available to the automated fiber placement machines, without interrupting the fiber placement process by shutting down all of the machines, when any one of the fiber placement heads needs to have it's supply of composite materials replenished. In similar fashion, it is desirable to have the capability of changing-out the fiber placement heads of the fiber placement machines, without interruption of the fiber placement process, so that the heads may be periodically serviced and cleaned to maintain optimal operating speeds of the fiber placement process.